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Wednesday, 30 October 2013

First off 'Blacula' an amazing blaxpoitation hammer-esque film from 1972.

The two women starring in it (Vonetta McGee and Denise Nicholas) have the greatest outfits and are beautiful to boot..

It goes for quite a traditional dracula plot (but set in the 70s, think 'Dracula 1972 AD')... but it's fun and the guys are wearing polo necks.

We are looking forward to watching the follow up - 'Scream Blacula Scream'.

Bert gives it four and a half fangs out of five.

and, hey, I'm giving it four and a half too.

Valentine is a 90sesque slasher movie (made in 2001) starring Denise Richards and David Boreanaz.

It's all quite predictable but kind of fun. I find Denise to have quite a funny face and David Boreanaz is nothing after Angel.

Bert gives it four fangs out of five

and it's a three fanger from me.

Lost Boys. So, I loved this when I was a teenager but haven't seen it since. I did like Kiefer Sutherland too (nowadays I prefer Donald Sutherland...)

It's very 80s (released in 87) but that just adds to the pleasure.

Bert gives it three fangs out of five and says it didn't make much sense as the plot wasn't explained... he also disliked Corey Haim (poor sad late corey) and his clothes.

I liked Corey's clothes and the large swatch clock on his wall. I'm giving it four fangs and I loved the music too. and the frog brothers. and the dogs.

couldn't stop thinking that one of the vampires (left) looked like the guy from Made in Chelsea....

Dracula was another movie I watched ages ago, but having recently re-read dracula I thought the movie was due for a visit. Unfortunately Halloween week coincides with half term art activities for me so I was very, very tired when I watched this and not really in the mood for all the crazy accents that people were working with here.

Three fangs out of five for both me and bert.

Nightmare Castle is an Italian gothic horror from 1965. Our version was dubbed into English, which always adds to the horror. This was nicely atmospheric and featured some good clothes and eternal youth. Again I was a bit sleepy to appreciate it properly... but still enjoyed it.

I have spent quite a few days working on halloween activities for half term!

we are going to have lots of different things to make - from simple bat mobiles, colouring pages, pom poms, sewing... and so much more! Here are some things I've found looking on lots of wonderful blogs.

I've been loving reading about her travels and she also posts gorgeous photos like these too!

Before I had ever read Jen's blog, Bert bought me one of her cute brooches she makes, then I started reading her blog, and then I finally met her when she came to quite a few of our craftivist meet ups.

Someone added this picture to my facebook not long ago.

I'm up at the back there (where the arrow is).

This picture is from preschool, and it looks like we are on some kind of trip....

Sunday, 13 October 2013

Also today is National Fungus Day in the UK! recently I've been getting into fungus....

Landscape for fire by Anthony McCall

Yesterday we went to see an exhibition at the National Museum in Cardiff called 'Uncommon Ground: Land Art in Britain 1966-1979'

We loved it. There was so much good stuff, some we were familiar with and some new.

I was immediately captivated by Anthony McCall's film Landscape for fire which was performed in the early 70s and had elements of ritual and a kind of pagan feel to it.

Just looking for information about him now, I realise that he's the same artist that I loved from the Light Show exhibition in Hayward last year

'You and I, Horizontal' by Anthony McCall

In the last couple of weeks I have been to two conferences all about art, education and creativity. I have been thinking a lot since then about creativity and teaching creativity, or teaching people to learn (as someone said at the conference). I guess this is the same kind of idea as steiner and montessori education - children are taught to question, to investigate things for themselves, to learn by doing and to become interested in learning. The outcome then is to find the thing that you love and do well and then do it.

Alongside this I've been reading 'The Participatory Museum' by Nina Simon, (she blogs here if you are interested) which I partly think is fascinating and coming from a really good place and partly think is totally lame. I'd be interested in your thoughts if you've read it!

It's Sunday. It's almost lunch time and I'm still in my pyjamas with sadie cat asleep on me. Bert has just put 'Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter' on.